Multi-stakeholder dialogue and collaborations have been considered as ‘panacea’ for complex local to global problems confronting governments, businesses and society. And for over a decade now, they have also been increasingly promoted as mechanisms to achieve sustainability. There is, however, a dearth of empirical studies that give deeper insights into the practical dimensions and various implications of such processes for sustainability. This dissertation explores how multi-stakeholder organising processes for sustainability occur in local settings. It relies on a theoretical framework that combines institutional and social movements theoretical perspectives. Such a theoretical cross-fertilisation has been helpful in explaining: (a) how the macro institutional context of sustainable development influences micro interactions of individuals during collaborations; and (b) how those micro interactions may influence the sustainability movement organised at macro societal levels. The dissertation is philosophically based on the principles of critical hermeneutics. It draws on the works of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Jürgen Habermas to understand the nature of reality, society and human relationships. The study also uses literature on sustainable development, organising, dialogue, collaboration, stakeholder engagement, emotions and time. Three cases of multi-stakeholder dialogic collaborations organised to address sustainability of two regions in New Zealand were investigated through observations, interviews with participants and documentary research. These processes were developed in response to a regulatory change in New Zealand – the new Local Government Act (2002) which emphasises sustainable development of communities. The data across the three cases was analysed using principles of grounded theory and critical hermeneutics. Analysis reveals how various kinds of institutional pressures (engulfing cultural-cognitive, regulative and normative institutions connected with sustainable development) confront different stakeholders with varying intensities. Those pressures influence stakeholders to become involved in and commit to such collaborations. And as stakeholders participate in such processes, they are shown to engage with one another rationally and emotionally, and with different conceptions of time. The collaborations thus can be characterised by a complex fusion of rationality, emotionality and temporality. On the one hand, multi-stakeholder dialogic collaborations stimulate learning, facilitate relationship building and build social capital for implementing sustainable development. They thus prove themselves as potent governance mechanisms that can help to institutionalise sustainable development. On the other hand, multi-stakeholder dialogic collaborations for sustainability are highly messy, unpredictable, paradoxical and conflict-ridden processes of stakeholder engagement. They are shown to suffer from three major problematics: problematic of misunderstandings; problematic of stakeholders’ emotions; and problematic of stakeholders’ time. They thus, ironically and paradoxically, are also problematic solutions for sustainability.

Wirtschaftsuniv., Diss.--Wien, 2007.

Diss.--Copenhagen Business School, 2006.

Zugl.: Zürich, Univ., Diss., 2004

Wirtschaftsuniv., Diss.--Wien, 2002.

Univ., Diss.--Köln, 2002.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität St. Gallen, 1996.

Zugl.: St. Gallen, Universiẗat, Diss., 2005.

<p>Projektet startade på uppdrag av länsmuseet i Kalmar län. Målet var att utveckla en första prototyp av en interaktiv dykmodell i 3d av vrakplatsen för Regalskeppet Kronan. Syftet med denna modell var tvådelad; att skapa en nyanserad del av Kronan-utställningen och underlätta vid utgrävningarna av vrakplatsen för regalskeppet Kronan. Modellen skulle fungera som en nyanserad och modern del av länsmuseets webbsida och utställning där museibesökare kan vrida och vända på modellen i realtid och skapa sig en bild över hur det ser ut vid vrakplatsen. Projektets validitet i förhållande till länsmuseets verksamhet bekräftades genom en studie av länsmuseets verksamhetsberättelse. Det andra syftet med dykmodellen är att de dykare som genomför dykningarna vid vrakplatsen skall kunna distribuera modellen mellan varandra och redan på ett tidigt stadium kunna diskutera och planera utgrävningarna, vilket tidigare gjort med hjälp av inspelade översimningar vid vrakplatsen. Arbetet i projektet genomfördes i ett flertal steg. Först presenteras termen stakeholder, eller intressenter, som är ett led i att kunna ta fram rätt användare vid utvecklingen 3d-modellen. De intressenter som togs fram och ansågs vara mest lämpliga var museibesökare, i form av turister och skolungdomar, och dykare. Dessa var de två intressentgrupper som ansågs vara de som kommer vara direkta slutanvändare av 3d-modellen. För att ytterligare kunna ringa in rätt användare för 3d-modellen användes sedan en metod som kallas personas för att representera museibesökaren och skolungdomar och intervjuer för intressentgruppen dykare vid vrakplatsen. Som representant för dykare vid vrakplatsen av Kronan stod Lars Einarsson som är ansvarig för utgrävningarna. Produktionen av 3d-modellen gjordes genom ett första framtagande av konceptuella modeller och fotande av bilder från Kronan-utställningen, vilka låg till grund för de tekniker för modellering inom 3d Studio Max som användes. Dessa modeller fungerade också som förlaga vid själva modellerandet. Under produktionsfasen av 3d-modellen togs ett flertal saker i beaktande; modellering med så låg komplexitet som möjligt, en realism i 3d-modellen i form av rätt objekt utifrån vad som finns vid den fysiska vrakplatsen och ljussättning och skuggsättning. Som hjälp vid ljus- och skuggsättning användes även filmmaterial från en överdykning av vrakplatsen. Interaktionen med den 3d-modellen beslutades att skötas av en andrahandsprogramvara. För att tillse att den bästa programvaran användes för detta ändamål jämfördes Eon Raptor och Design Review 2008. Detta gjordes utifrån testning av programvaran inom projektgruppen och en jämförelse mellan de systemkrav som respektive programvara krävde. Det slutgiltiga valet föll på Design Review 2008 främst på basis av en större grad av användbarhet och teknisk tillgänglighet. Efter att modellen implementerats från 3D Studio Max till Design Review 2008 gjordes en heuristisk utvärdering för att tillse den grundläggande funktionen av programmet. De utvärderingsprinciper som användes var en modifierad version av Jacob Nielsens utvärderingsprinciper. Dessa togs fram genom att en jämförelse och syntes gjordes av Nielsens och Jef Raskins teorier för god interaktion. Den heuristiska utvärderingen ansågs falla väl ut och den slutgiltiga applikationen ansågs ha god användbarhet vad gäller interaktionen.</p> / <p>The project started by commission of the regional museum of Kalmar. The goal was to develop a first prototype of an interactive 3-dimensional diving model of the site of wreckage of the man-of-war Kronan. The aim of this model were two folded. First it was supposed to be a more modern part of the regional museums webpage and its physical exhibition where visitors of the museum can navigate and turn the model around in real time and get a picture of how it looks at the site of the wreackage. Part of the museum’s annual report states that their aim is to gain 20.000 more visitors during the year of 2008. A more modern way of exhibiting their objects in the museum could help with this. The validity of the project was confirmed by a study of the regional museums annual report. The second aim of the diving model was to facilitate the planning the excavation of the site of the wreckage for the divers by on an early stage of the planning being able to distribute and discuss the wreckage among each other. This was formely done by looking at and discussing video footage taken at the wreckage. The project was divided into several steps. First, the term stakeholder was introduced to get a better understanding of who the user for the development of the 3d-model was. The stakeholders that were put forward and were deemed the most suitable were visitors at the museum, in the form of “tourists and school children”, and “divers at the site of the wreckage”. These were the two stakeholder groups who were seen as those who would have the most direct influence of the interaction with the 3d model. To further encircle the users of the upcoming 3d model, the method personas was used to represent the visitors at the museum and schoolchildren. Interviews was used for the stakeholder group “divers at the wreckage”. Representing the divers was Lars Einarsson who is in charge of the excavation of the wreckage. The production of the 3d model was done by making of conceptual models and footage from the Kronan exhibition. These were the basis for the techniques for modeling that were used within 3d Studio Max. These models also worked as an original while modeling. During the production phase of the 3d model several things was taken into consideration; modeling with as low complexity as possible, a realism in the 3d model by adding objects that are actually in place at the wreckage and natural lighting of the scene. To aid with the lighting filmed footage from the site of the wreckage were used. The interaction with the 3d model was deemed to be made using a second hand application. To see to it that the best application for this was used, a comparison between Eon Raptor and Design Review 2008 was made. This was done on the basis of both internal testing and a comparison of the two programs system requirements. The final choice was Design Review 2008 mostly on the basis of a higher degree of usability and technical availability. After the model was implemented from 3d Studio Max to Design Review 2008 a heuristic evaluation was made to see to it that the basic functioning of the model was satisfying. The usability principles that were used were a modified version of Jacob Nielsens usability principles. These were produced by comparing and synthesizing Nielsens and Jef Raskins theories for good interaction. The result of the heuristic evaluation was deemed satisfying and the final application was considered having good usability concerning the interaction.</p>

WirtschaftsUniversiẗat, Diss., 2004--Wien.